Play: If you’re headed for Lake Tahoe, here are five fab spots to sip and nosh lakeside.
Lake Tahoe is the summertime go-to for high-altitude high jinks, outdoor adventure and dazzling views. But as you navigate the lake’s 72 miles of shoreline, deciding what to do next — jet-ski, paddleboard, hike or simply lounge — don’t forget to grab a bite. Preferably at an umbrella-shaded table on a restaurant deck where a cool breeze comes with the margaritas. This deck-dining sampler will get you started. Most of these lakeside restaurants are next to marinas or docks that accommodate boaters and offer watercraft rentals, too.
Best advice: Call ahead for a reservation on the deck and be patient when you get there. Arrive early or late to avoid crowds. And remember: At day’s end, everyone else wants to sit on a deck and watch the sunset, too.
1 Sunnyside Resort
A nonstop play list booms over the biggest deck on the lake, getting the typical sunburned, thirsty crowd of 300 in a party mood.
“We get everything from bachelorette parties to families, who have been coming here for generations,” says Alli Stevens, Sunnyside’s community relations and marketing coordinator. “In terms of drinking, we like to say we want to be your first stop, not your last.”
BEST BITES & SIPS >> The 1-pound mound of hand-battered fried zucchini has been a Sunnyside staple since 1965. Don’t miss the sesame crusted salmon rice bowl and fish tacos — fried or grilled — with housemade chips. Pair your bites with an S.S. Refresh, a mojito with cucumber vodka, or a nonalcoholic First Breeze, strawberry puree-spiked lemonade.
TIP >> The deck is grand, but make sure you walk through the timber-and-stone Sunnyside Lodge, a West Shore anchor since the 1930s that keeps the Old Tahoe vibe alive.
FIND IT >> Open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily at 1850 W. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City; www.sunnysideresort.com.
2 Jake’s On the Lake
Overlooking Tahoe City Marina, this shady deck seems custom-made for couples and families seeking a relatively quiet port. “We’re about the sense of place, not about the party,” says service manager Alex Hoehn. After lunch, hang out in the roped-off biergarten for games of cornhole or Yardzee, a giant version of the board game Yahtzee.
BEST BITES & SIPS >> California meets Hawaii in Jake’s ahi poke roll, wild mahi ceviche and veggie falafel-wich. Be sure to share a mound of Hula Pie — macadamia-nut ice cream meets cold fudge in an Oreo cookie crust. Don’t miss the Kimo’s mai tai with guava juice, a vodka-based Forget Me Not with lavender, and the mojito made with coconut rum and mint.
TIP >> Ask to be seated on the 10-table upstairs deck of this 40-year-old Tahoe institution. Don’t leave without seeking out the apricot-almond-habañero chocolate bark at Tahoe City Chocolates next door.
FIND IT >> Open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. in the Boatworks Mall, 780 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City; www.jakestahoe.com.
3 Beacon Bar & Grill
Count on the Beacon deck to be party central through Labor Day. One reason is its daily live-music program; another is that it’s literally steps from the public beach at Camp Richardson Resort.
Camp Rich is its own destination, from the historic lodge, general store and ice cream parlor, to the nearby paved bike trail that meanders through woods and over Taylor Creek (bike rentals on-site).
BEST BITES & SIPS » Try the deep-fried calamari steak with housemade dipping sauces, or add salmon, chicken or seared tofu to the sauteed quinoamushroom rice bowl. More than 150,000 (yes, really!) Rum Runners — a slushy cocktail topped with a dark-rum float — are served here each summer.
TIP » Skip the parking hassle and catch a ride from town to Camp Rich on the Tahoe Trolley; www.tahoetransportation.org.
FIND IT » Open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends at 1900 Jameson Beach Road (Highway 89), South Lake Tahoe; www. camprichardson.com.
4 Bistro and Brooks’ at Edgewood
For something more rarefied, the $100 million Lodge at Edgewood and its restaurant, the Bistro, opened a year ago, and the property was just voted the No. 1 resort hotel in the nation by Travel + Leisure readers. The deck overlooks a stand of firs, flower beds and a manicured lawn that slopes to the shoreline. The fire pit area is the place to be.
For something more rustic and outdoorsy — think lodge-pole sculptures and artistically positioned granite boulders — try Edgewood’s neighboring Brooks’ Bar & Deck. Both are supplied by the same remarkable kitchen. “We serve the best of the best,” says chef de cuisine Thomas Hartwell.
BEST BITES & SIPS » At the Bistro, don’t miss the flatbreads or the Chicken Toastie sandwich, filled with dark-meat fowl, fig jam and Brie. At Brooks’, go for smoked-brisket tacos or the half-pound burger. As for sips, you can’t go wrong with a jalapeño-cucumber margarita or an award-winning bloody mary.
TIP » The beach is open to the public; stash your car in the self-park lot.
FIND THEM » The Bistro is open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Brooks’ is open for lunch and dinner daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find both eateries at the Edgewood Tahoe golf course, 100 Lake Parkway, Stateline, Nevada; www.edgewoodtahoe.com.
5 Beach House Grill
This deck draws beachgoers who hang out on privately owned Lakeside Beach ($8 per person). One of the best stretches of white sand on the lake, it’s a local fave and one presided over by Mount Tallac. At 9,738 feet, the snow-topped mountain dominates the view.
Order at the window of the funky beach shack (no indoor seating), then find a table and await delivery. Shoes required, but not shirts. Afterward, stroll the beach for some great people-watching.
“There’s not a ton of craziness here, except for the volume,” says general manager Kimmie Turner. Live music adds to the decibel level on weekends.
BEST BITES & SIPS » Go for a classic beer-battered fish sandwich and Savanah’s Sunset Salad with mint and strawberries. Hot weather? Go for the Brain Freezer — frozen rosé with lemon and sugar — or the blackberry sangria.
TIP » For a brief, fast ride, board the really cool water taxi at the Lakeside Marina, action-watersports.com/activities/water-taxi. Or walk a couple of blocks and sit a spell at the shimmering onyx-and-granite bar at the Landing Resort & Spa.
FIND IT » Open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily at 4081 Lakeshore Blvd., South Lake Tahoe; www.beachhousetahoe.com.